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Tired Traveller’s Rant: Do’s and Don’ts of plane travel

I never bothered to count how much time I spent on plane travel.. part of my doesn’t want to because I suspect it’s a horrifying statistic I couldn’t consider a matter of pride.

But I have accumulated a list of what I consider good plane etiquette. What do you think? Agree or disagree? Add more?

Don’t– If you carry a shoulder bag, duffel, or backpack by one strap, don’t let it flap back and forth into the faces of people sitting in the aisle seats. Seriously. Enough, already.

– Don’t hoard the overhead space. It slows down boarding and your inability to condense your belongings is more your laziness than it should be other peoples’ problem. And for the love of.. don’t throw your bag up at the beginning of the cabin when you sit all the way in the back. Keep your luggage stored close to your seat.

– Don’t assume your smaller seat neighbor is OK with you taking up more room. The airline seats are small and uncomfortable for everyone. Your seatmate paid for a seat, not a portion of a seat. Your issue is with the airline, not the passenger.

– Don’t abuse the pre-boarding for families with children policy. I’ve noticed the airline agents starting to clarify the definition of “small children” over the last couple of years. Your 10 year old son is capable of taking care of himself. Your teen daughter is younger and stronger than the average adult passenger and can also carry your bags for you as well as her own.

Do
– Watch the safety video/demonstration. Studies show people who are routinely attentive to emergency announcements are those most capable of reacting immediately in the event of an incident. As much as many of us like to think we can be heroes, a majority of us just freeze. So next time, give the flight attendants some due respect for their job and just pay attention. Or at least pipe down and put the newspaper aside so it doesn’t block others’ view.

– Do shut off the mobile and shut up. And keep it off until the plane has parked at the arrival gate.

– Do close your window shades at least part way during the flight. The glare is annoying on the video screens.

– Do take a bath before you fly. Surprisingly, some of the worse offenders of BO actually were in business class. If you can afford a $3000+ business class ticket, you can afford an 15¢ bar of soap.